


after rain, earth hardens

by akaeijis



Category: Pocket Monsters SPECIAL | Pokemon Adventures
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Gen, Growing Up, UWUS OUT FOR GREEN AND YELLOWS FRIENDSHIP, also this is OLD and BAD but i love pokespe so much, hopefully ill be write actual good content, that i want to post something about it, the focus is rly about growing up and friendship, the pairings arent as ? like the focus, yellow is home
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-16 04:53:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16947360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akaeijis/pseuds/akaeijis
Summary: growing up is hard. but they know they can always return to home. -dex holders, high school au





	after rain, earth hardens

**Author's Note:**

> title comes from japanese proverb 'After the rain falls, earth hardens' - things will become better after tribulations

 

“Have you figured out what you guys want to do?” Blue asks them. She’s laying on her stomach with her elbows popped up, allowing her to gaze at the night sky from Red’s open glass door that leads to the porch. The floor is a sea of intertwined blankets. It’s 2:00 AM, middle of winter break and teenagers don’t get tired (well, at least, she isn’t), so it’s the perfect time for a meaningful conversation with friends. Swinging her legs, making the blankets pull and tug, she says, “I think I’m going to go into journalism.” 

 

“I think I’ll stay here,” Yellow says, all curled up by the wall and looking at the sky too. They don’t look behind to the other two behind them. They already have an intuition on where they’re all going, they just never said it out loud. It becomes too real once they do. 

 

Red makes a pained noise. Then he mutters, “Something with Soccer. I guess.” Red’s always been determined, his dream was never-changing. A center midfielder for the Yokohama F. Marinos. 

 

Green comes over and wraps a blanket over Blue and lays down on his ‘spot’ of their makeshift blanket fort. Blue’s memorized all the cracks and crevices in the walls through all her years of afternoon playdates and sleepovers. She’s memorized every possible image formed on Red’s popcorn ceiling.

 

“I’m thinking about coaching,” Green says, when he’s finally comfortable. His eyes are closed. “Then take over my gramp’s lab.” 

 

_ ‘-when he passes away’ _ is the unsaid finish to the sentence. It leaves a sour aftertaste in Blue’s mouth and a tense kink in her back. She turns so she’s laying on her back and brown hair splayed all over. 

 

She breathes and closes her own eyes, imagining a time when they were younger. When they would bake cakes at her family bakery. Go on summer fishing trips with Yellow’s uncle to the cottage they always stay at. Reach the tallest shelf at Green’s house and hunch over books with the afternoon rays of the sun. Playing superhero under Red’s blankets. Running around the market with all the stars underneath them. 

 

When she opens her eyes, it’s still the same blankets, same room, same people. Same twelve-year old crayon drawings on the walls. Same people from the photographs all over Green’s walls. 

 

Everything is the same, but everything’s different. 

 

-

 

Gold glares at the club sign up sheets, his eyes going back and forth between soccer and basketball. He’s played multiple sports over the years, but it was all because of Red-senpai. But Red chose soccer to focus on in his senior year. But Red is leaving and Gold doesn’t know what to do. He’s not ready to stop following Red. 

 

“Basketball.” A voice behind him answers his question, it’s deep and could only belong to the one and only, Silver. “You only chose soccer because of Red-senpai, but you like basketball more.” 

 

Gold spares Silver a glance for a moment, before shutting his eyes close as he signs his name on the basketball sheet. Red-senpai said that he would make a great basketball captain. 

 

-

 

Ruby’s nails are polished red and his hand is soft (his new lotion, Cherry Berry - a fusion of cherry and strawberry). Sapphire is holding his hand as they walked down the hallway. When they’re out of the hallway, Ruby swings her hand and says, “We’re like Romeo and Juliet.”

 

“What ya talkin’ about?” She replies, all gruff and harsh.

 

“It’s like forbidden love, someone absolutely stunning and another one is kinda...gross, for lack of better words.” Ruby gives her a disdainful look but Sapphire knows there’s something hidden beneath his words and she doesn’t question it because Ruby always lies and she always waits because he’s too much of a priss to face problems. She doesn’t say anything and chooses to roll her eyes. He’s always been like this. 

 

She doesn’t wait  _ for  _ him, she waits because she loves him. 

 

-

 

Green stares at the halls that he walks down with Red by his side. It’s so empty, the only sound are the clicking of their heels of their fancy dress shoes. He glances down to the courtyard where kids who were brought by their parents were running around. Green’s heart aches a little, they’re eighteen now, not carefree kids. Things aren’t the same anymore. Green tears his gaze away, “C’mon, Blue’s going to yell at us.”

 

Red laughs and reads him like the back of his head. “Race ya!” Red smirks and he’s gone. 

 

Green laughs like he did ten years ago and sprints right after him. The hall isn’t as empty anymore. They race down the familiar stairs into the ceremony and an angry Blue and anxious Yellow. 

 

(“You guys are late! The ceremony is in a few minutes, gosh your ties! Yellow, help me. Oh, why are you guys laughing - we have to take pictures!”) 

 

-

 

“I’m going to miss you,” Silver says as he moves his sister’s boxes from her room to her car. She’s the first one leaving, she’s always been independent. He really doesn’t like being apart from her, but they’re parents are cool and he still has Yellow, Gold, and Crys. 

 

She’s too busy applying lipstick (it’s red this time), like she’s been doing since she was sixteen. He shrugs and gets the next box. When he’s back, she smacks her lips, “I’ll miss you too.” She puts the makeup back on her purse and hugs him. He’s reaching up to her height now, by her eyes. It’s a bit odd when he remembers their time in the orphanage together. “Take care of mom and dad for me, I love you.” 

 

-

 

They don’t talk about it a lot, but Sapphire always remembers when they walk home. She sees two little kids on the street. She sees them run, she sees the truck that they didn’t see, she sees him push her out of the way, she sees his grazed head, she sees his blood, and she sees her tears.

 

She vows to get stronger, to protect him - to fight  _ with  _ him. She doesn’t want to be pushed aside or locked away anymore. 

 

Every time they walk down this road, Ruby grips her hand a bit tighter. She’s waiting. But she doesn’t know how long she can. Love is tough. 

 

-

 

Red watches her walk down the sidewalk, cherry blossom petals falling from the trees as the sun sets. They’re coming back from the cherry blossom festival a bit earlier since they usually stay until it’s late in the evening and the fireflies come out. But they’re leaving soon and he still has some last minute packing. 

 

(They also usually go to the festival with all four of them present. But Blue’s been gone for about a week and Green is packing. Red should be packing too, since he and Green are leaving but he had to make some time for Yellow.) 

 

He hasn’t told Yellow explicitly, but it’s the elephant in the room - in town. They’re dancing around each other. Her footsteps are soft as she steps ahead of him on pink petals.

 

“Yellow,” He calls out, his voice soft in a way that’s only meant for her and means,  _ ‘I like you.’ _

 

Yellow twirls around, “Yeah?” The softness in her eyes tell him everything.  _ ‘I know. And I like you too.’   _

 

Red’s palms are sweaty and he wipes it on his cargo shorts. He breathes in, “I’m leaving tomorrow.” 

 

She’s earing his old middle school basketball shorts, hair sticky from the heat, and she’s still beautiful. Her smile is still kind and understanding and reflects the sun’s rays and Red wonders what the world’s ever done to deserve her. He widens his steps to reach her, puts an arm around her shoulders, a question. 

 

_ ‘Will you wait for me?’ _

 

She answers by linking her fingers with his hand that’s draped around her. 

 

_ ‘Of course.’ _

 

-

 

“We are so old,” Gold whines, plopping down on the grass, melon ice pop still in his mouth. 

 

“Imagine how our seniors must feel,” Silver says drily right next to him. 

 

Crystal watches both of them in the corner of her eye then turns her attention back on the sun. They  _ are  _ old. They’re entering their senior year. Crystal feels the weight so heavy in her back. She feels like she can still feel the three of them, ten years old, against the world. Or at least, against this grass field. She can hear Silver’s shooting noises and Gold falling on the grass, her little self bringing a first aid kit just in case. 

 

But they’re seventeen, almost eighteen, sucking on ice pops. 

 

-

 

Sapphire breathes soccer, top runner in class, jumps off buildings, skateboards with the wild lunatic from the junior (now senior) class. Ruby on the other hand, can’t wear a gym uniform without crying. He watches her as he waits for soccer practice to end, watches the stains on her socks and shoes that he knows he’s going to end up cleaning. 

 

Head resting in his palm, he observes their classmates. They all know Sapphire can run in the forest with her bare feet and swing off vines and holler like Tarzan. Ruby sighs, but they don’t know he can leap off of five floors and swing people around like a rag with only one hand and run like there’s no tomorrow. It’s a side he doesn’t show it often, only when he needs to. It happens when he ran away from home, when he took the burden on himself, and when he said that he loves her. 

 

Ruby watches his girlfriend (he’s still in shock that Sapphire’s still with him) smile and run around with such confidence and boldness. Sapphire’s stronger in ways Ruby can never be. She’s fearless, genuine, brave. She stands on her own two feet. Sapphire has surpassed him in so many different ways. 

 

-

 

“Hey!” Blue jumps into Green’s arms and pulls Red into a group hug. She’s twenty now. From the reflection of the restaurant they’re meeting, she can see how much they’ve grown. They both stand strong and straight and she misses them so much. 

 

“Hey,” Red grits out from her tight hug and Green just smiles. She smiles brightly and nudges in between them to hook her arms around theirs, guiding them into the restaurant. 

 

“I haven’t seen you guys in person for about?” Blue taps her chin, “A year and a half? It’s so weird, we were all attached literally every second before.” Blue laughs. A little forced. 

 

“Yeah, we missed you,” Green says quickly then turns to face the waiter. Green only looked at the menu once. “We’ll have grilled squid, tofu soup, fried fish. One coffee, a water, and one latte. For dessert, we would like the red bean cake.”

 

Blue beams at him. 

 

-

 

“Ugh, what are you going to get Crys?” Gold asks Silver, wearing a sweater that he got for Christmas. 

 

“Earrings,” Silver says and Gold feels his face heat up. 

 

“But I got her that for Christma-” Gold falters at seeing Silver’s smirk. Then sighs. 

 

“Just joking, I’m going to get her a pack of wrist sweatbands. You’re going to get her those gym shoes she’s been eyeing, right?” 

 

-

 

She let Ruby do her makeup. It’s okay. Sapphire likes it, she thinks it’s pretty. They’re on the floor of her room today, sunset spilling into her wide windows. He finished her foundation and now is working on the eyes. 

 

“You’re beautiful,” He says under his breath, but he’s not looking at her eyelids, her cheeks, or her lips. He’s looking directly into her eyes. 

 

-

 

Crystal’s gaze is directly at the stage, it’s their graduation this time. She feels Gold grab her right arm and Silver her left. 

 

(She’s staying with Professor Oak, Silver’s going to Tokyo to his sister, and Gold - he’s staying too. At the local college. Crystal tightens her grip on them, her best friends.) 

 

-

 

Blue marches into the news building, almost twenty-one, donning a blue blouse and trousers. She’s no longer that girl from a year ago. It’s just a temporary job, hopefully as a receptionist, until she finishes her studies and stays as a tv anchor. 

 

Blue breathes in. She saw Red and Green a few months ago. Breathes out. She hasn’t seen Yellow in two years. 

 

Blue side glances at the window pans where she can slightly see her reflection. Her new clothes and a full face a makeup, she kind of looks like Lorelei, their old math teacher. It’s not bad, just a sign of growing up. 

 

(About fifty kilometers away from Blue, Yellow’s heart hurts a little. She’s not jealous or angry. It just pains her a little, to see her friends grow and she’s not with them.)

 

-

 

Sapphire still dreams. She dreams of flying, she dreams of running, she dreams about the car accident, and she dreams of when they were thirteen. One of the first things Sapphire really learns about Ruby is that he’s selfish. Well, everyone knows - that’s surface knowledge. She learned to like that prissy, girly boy that he is on the outside as well. But he’s selfish in a way that he keeps information away from her, that he does things for her without her asking, that he pushes her into a full a side corner and runs away. 

 

“Ruby-” She’s thirteen and angry, but she’s scared because there’s someone after them and even if it’s a dream she can still remember the way her heart was beating so fast and loud and-

 

“Shh.” Ruby puts a finger up to her mouth as he pushes her into a bush. There’s a freak truck car accident and they should be running away but Ruby’s trying to help people and protect her and Ruby is gone. 

 

(Ruby is making sure there’s nothing in the way or flying toward Sapphire. Ruby’s selfish that way.) 

 

-

 

Red falls on the ground, exhausted. He’s too tired to wipe the sweat off his forehead, to take his shirt off, to get water. But Green has his back, Green throws his water bottle right in his face. 

 

“Thanks,” Red mumbles and eagerly sips the water. 

 

“So, tryouts are next month.” Green says after a few minutes, Red isn’t sure what Green means. 

 

“Yeah?” Red asks, getting up on his elbows to face Green who’s sitting and staring intently at the opposite side of the field. 

 

“We all know you’re going to make it.” Green says and Red shrugs. Sure. It’s been a wild two years, non stop. Red loves it. He breathes for a fast life, to keep moving. That’s how he’s always been. (Of course, there’s only one town where time stand still that he loves.) “So, I’m moving back soon.” 

 

-

 

This time around, it’s Gold and Crystal moving his boxes and he’s the one looking in the mirror, tying his hair in a ponytail. 

 

“Tokyo, huh.” Gold makes a passing comment. Then Gold’s gone. Silver doesn’t say anything. Instead, he sits next to Crystal who is taking a break and sitting by the stairs. Crystal’s watching Gold’s back walk out the door.

 

“You’ve always loved spy movies.” Crystal tells him. Silver hasn’t told them what exactly he’s going to be doing in Tokyo, but honestly they know him well enough. 

 

When Gold’s out of sight, Silver smirks, “Call me when you guys finally get together.”

 

-

 

Ruby dreams of the time they were fourteen, when Sapphire slapped him in the face and told him, “Get over yourself,” when Sapphire walked away from him. 

 

He walked home alone that day, walking the same path of the accident. He sees the two little kids, the truck, the blood, and her tears. He doesn’t realize he’s crying. He runs to Sapphire house. 

 

The next day, they’re seniors now. Ruby doesn’t wear mascara this day and holds her hand tightly. 

 

-

 

Green pauses, his hand in a fist, frozen right before the door. He’s unsure if he should. Three years ago he didn’t have to. But this isn’t three years ago. 

 

He keeps staring at the plain wood door, a tiny circular window at the top he can only barely peak over. His gaze leaves the door and up to the colorful banners that hang above the market place. Red’s right when he says it’s a place that never ages. 

 

Green sucks it up and knocks on the door. If he thinks about it logically, he never told her he was coming back home. She’s not defenseless nor meek. 

 

“Yes?” A slightly deeper voice than he remembers opens the door. Green hasn’t prepared himself for this. To see Yellow, height up to his shoulder. To see herself fill into her bones a bit more and eyes as bright as ever. She’s wearing an old dress and her hair is in a messy bun and Green hasn’t felt this home in years. 

 

He watches her expression morph into one of shock, wide eyes and still mouth and Green feels his own heart stop. “Green!” She exclaims and hugs him around his middle, hands wet (probably from doing dishes) and Green hugs her back. 

 

She isn’t eighteen, but twenty one. So is he. He’s been away for so long and Yellow has always been home. 

 

-

 

Crystal watches Gold play basketball with the little kids from the Hibiki Daycare. She’s been volunteering here ever since she was thirteen and now she’s twenty. Gold’s grown taller, grown a bit of a stubble. 

 

Crystal pats the sleeping kid on her lap while Gold walks up to her. He’s a bit sweaty but puts his arm around her shoulders anyway. “I know I’ve been studying teaching, so I think I’ll be the basketball coach at the high school.” 

 

“And working at the daycare?” Crystal asks. 

 

“Yeah.” Gold replies. “And seeing you.” Crystal looks at Gold, to see him absolutely serious. His face blank of any emotion. Crystal feels her face heat up a little. 

 

-

 

They’re seniors now. Sapphire drops her bag by the foot of his bed and spreads out on it like she’s had before. Sapphire’s feeling a bit sentimental, so she asks, “So, what did ya mean ‘bout Romeo and Juliet from that one time? That’s so ugh, pretentious.” Sapphire frowns. Ruby made her watch Project Runway and she thinks that’s the correct usage of the word. 

 

Ruby’s facing his dresser, she watches his face through the mirror. He’s taking off his headband and combs his hair, her eyes linger on his scar for a second more. “It’s just weird, I guess.” He finally says, “Knowing you like  _ me _ .” He says ‘me’ in a spiteful way, and Sapphire understands. 

 

And she rolls her eyes. She’s sick and tired of it. She marches up to Ruby, who's picking at his makeup brushes at pulls him up by his school uniform collar. “Shut up, not everythin’ is about you, prissy boy!” She looks at him. Really looks at him. From his jet black hair to his scar to his wine colored eyes. He’s the boy that will be stronger than her, the selfish, self-centered boy. The boy that loves too deeply. The boy that’s too scared that people will leave him. Too scared to trust her and believe her. 

 

Her hands leave his collar and climb up to his poreless face (he’s been adoring the bb cream trend). She holds him gently, something about her that will never leave her. “Listen to me, you need to trust in me more. You need to trust me to help you, to stand with you, to tell me how you feel and,” her hands tremble, “you need to trust me when I say that I love you.”

 

-

 

Yellow’s glad to have Green back. 

 

He spends Fridays and Saturdays over at her house (or she spends it at his house) and they go run errands together on Sunday. They work Monday to Thursday, but always spend breaks together. They say good morning and good night. To make up for lost time, Yellow thinks. 

 

Some people may think it’s a bit odd, since they’re only across the street from each other, at most ten steps. But some people don’t have the same strong friendship their circle of friends has. (Or  _ have _ , Yellow isn’t sure if Red and Blue still feel the same way. She’s sure they didn’t mean to lose contact, just like Green. She understands it’s hard to keep up with people when they grow up and try to strive in a busy world. But she hopes that they remember their home and don’t stray too far, just like Green.)

 

It’s a Saturday morning and Green’s drinking coffee, reading the newspaper, the news turned on simultaneously. He’s turned to be a mirror image of his grandfather and Yellow giggles as she washes their dishes from breakfast. He cooks most of their breakfasts so she can sleep in. She still loves her sleep, she’s sacrificed it a little ever since her uncle passed away to tend the shop. But Green knows her and let’s her sleep in when he stays over. 

 

“One day,” Green says while the morning sunlight filters in through the window, eyeing the television. “Blue and Red are going to be on TV.” 

 

Yellow hums.

 

-

 

Silver gets a call, about six months later. He’s been in touch with Gold and Crys, but they usually schedule skype calls. He’s too busy to have a regular call. 

 

“Crys?” Silver asks into the phone. 

 

“Gold just asked me out.” 

 

Silver’s eyes shot open and then his phone is getting another call. “Crys, hold up one second uhm.” Silver fumbles with a few buttons and pushes the phone back to his ear, not bothering to check the caller id.

 

“What?” Silver asks harshly in the phone. “I’m kind of in the middle of another p-”

 

“I just asked Crys out.” 

 

Silver just sighs. 

 

(But he’s happy. He’s not about to follow his sister and her friends’ path, not contacting each others for years. He’s glad they called to keep him updated.)

 

-

 

Ruby’s eyes are trembling as he watches the speaker in the graduation ceremony, she nudges his arm and takes his hand. She knows he’s scared. He’s scared of change, of losing her. 

 

His eyes inadvertently gaze to Sapphire, who’s standing tall and sturdy. He needs to trust her. 

 

-

 

“How are you?” Blue sips her iced tea, looking at the boy in front of her. He’s stronger, hair wilder, and older. It’s been about a year since they last met, saying goodbye as Green went home first. 

 

“Good,” Red shrugs. Blue’s eyes aren’t big and looking at the night sky from Red’s window anymore. They’re dimmed, calculating - something that she learned from the city. Her legs are crossed in her tight skirt, tight heels, and stained lips. Then she remembers it’s  _ Red _ , wearing a white t-shirt and jeans. It’s  _ Red,  _ who she still keeps rocks from their rock hunts in her apartment. It’s Red, someone a part of her. Someone from home, and all she can think of is her parents and Green and Yellow. 

 

Then she laughs, “Sorry, sorry - it’s just been so long!” She’s being silly. 

 

(“So, seeing anyone?” “Blue…” “...” “Yes, I still have feelings for Yellow.”) 

 

-

 

Silver’s watching TV (Proteam Omega, a new cartoon) when he hears the fumble of keys and the apartment door open. He looks at the clock, it’s 8 PM. Blue said she would return at this time. So, by all logic and reasoning, it should be Blue. It probably is, but the fact that he hasn’t heard her lovely voice call anything yet is concerning. 

 

Silver’s watching tv (proteam omega, a new cartoon) when Blue stumbles in their apartment. She hasn’t said anything yet, it’s a bit concerning.  

 

“Sis?” Silver asks and when he doesn’t get a reply, he pauses the tv and goes to get her. She’s toeing her pumps off and looking down. Silver bites his lips, hoping that her job interview went well. “C’mon, let’s watch some cartoons. We can go shopping tomorrow.” Blue nods. 

 

When she’s changed into sweats and they have a tub of chocolate ice cream, Silver resumes the cartoon. Blue’s head falls into the crook of his neck. 

 

An hour later, Blue says, “I miss home.” 

 

-

 

Ruby’s caressing her arm as they look up at the night sky. One thing Ruby does love about the countryside is the stars. 

 

“Let’s move in together,” He says. 

 

-

 

This time, they’re on Green’s rooftop. He’s the only one who has a rooftop since it doubles as an observatory. It’s a Saturday evening and they’re sprawled on sleeping bags and blankets that their younger selves used. Green keeps his head cradled underneath his arms and watches the stars. 

 

They’re twenty-two now. It’s been four years since their lives changed. 

 

He hears Yellow’s voice, muffled through the sleeping bag, and she asks, “How much longer?” 

 

Green shrugs. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> i love pokespe pls hmu @akaeijis on twt. this is rly bad but just let me out of my system bc ive been missing pokespe lately and i rly miss them ah. also i lvoe the lightning trio so maybe something with them. i alos love green/yellow friendship. hopefully ill write some more pokespe. this has been in my drafts for like 3 years 
> 
> 1\. i just think green and yellow's friendship is golden! green loves yellow pls write more about kanto 4.  
> 2\. jobs: green becomes a coach / takes over lab, blue a tv anchor, red a soccer player, yellow takes over her family's store, gold is a teacher, crys works at the daycare and lab, silver as a spy
> 
> theres a second part to this but there was only two paragraphs on the draft idk whenever it will be posted


End file.
